Shade earns playoff berth with win over Marion Center

CAIRNBROOK — The Shade Panthers played their way into the District 5 Class A football playoffs with a lightening delayed 20-14 non-conference victory over Marion Center Friday at Panther Stadium.

The Panthers (4-4) won their fourth game of the season for the first time since 2001, according to co-head coach Mike Pribish. It is the first time Shade has been in the playoffs since the 1990’s.

“The kids battled hard through adversity, rain, lightening and everything else,” Pribish said. “It feels great. The defense did a heck of a job. We were able to move the ball some. We just feel real good right now. I’m very happy for this team.”

After a 45-50 minute delay, Shade took the field up 20-14 with 7:17 left and possession of the ball.

The Stingers forced a three and out and regained possession at their 49. They gained nine yards in two plays but then went backwards 15 yards with penalties. A 13-yard completion set up a fourth and three, but the pass fell incomplete and the ball went over to the Panthers who were able to basically run out the clock and hold on for the win.

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Marion Center finished with 182 yards of offense.

“We kept shooting ourselves in the foot tonight,” Marion Center head coach Dave Malicky said. “We have to quit doing those young mistakes. The kids are trying. We went 75 or so yards on the opening scoring drive but actually went over 100 due to penalties. The effort is there. We had some great individual efforts. We just have to keep working.”

The Stingers (2-6) got on the board in the first quarter following a 17-play, 9:03 drive. Quarterback Blake Orr hit Tim Betts with a six-yard touchdown catch. The two-point conversion failed for a 6-0 lead.

Shade scored twice in the second quarter. Quarterback Cody Kaiser ran a fake to perfection and scampered 54 yards to pay dirt. Dylan Glessner’s PAT was good for a 7-6 lead with 10:30 left in first half.

Glessner scored on a two-yard run with 1:14 remaining in the second quarter. The play came after a 16-yard catch from Nash Walker. The PAT was good for a 14-6 lead.

The Panthers made it 20-6 in the third after an 8:57, 19-play drive. Brock Medva, who rushed for 195 yards of Shade’s 284 total yards on 25 carries, charged in from 11 yards out. The PAT failed.

The Stingers answered with an 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Brodey Thompson. The workhorse running back ran in the two-point conversion to make it 20-14 with 7:17 left in the game. Thompson rushed for 76 yards on 16 carries and had double digit tackles from his safety position.

“He’s one of the best players in our conference,” Malicky said of Thompson. “I’m glad he is on our team. He had some great runs. But when your safety is making all those tackles, that’s not a good sign defensively.”

Thompson’s kickoff return for a touchdown was the third time this season the Panthers have scored and then allowed an opponent to score on the ensuing kickoff.

Shade stalled a drive on it ensuing possession, and a 60-plus yard punt return to the 19 set up the Stingers to possibly take the lead.

Shade came up huge defensively stopping Thompson on a second and goal at the three. Marion Center then was called for a holding penalty and Orr was sacked for a six-yard loss for third and goal from the 20. Two passing plays fell incomplete halting the Stinger’s momentum.

“Our secondary has been good all year,” Pribish said of the effort. “Nash Walker, Jon Reynolds, Baily Blackburn and Brock Medva have done a super job for us. Brock has made a lot of tackles and the other guys just play solid defensive ball. They really came through for us.”

The Panthers will need another solid defensive effort next Friday — this time on the road — to get past WestPAC rival Meyersdale.